Planning a Compass Course

Planning a compass course does not need to be very time consuming or complicated!  The course can be located anywhere: the park, beach, or backyard. It can be as simple or complex as you want, but should be scaled in difficulty to the ages of the players.

1. Standing at the starting point, look around in the distance for a hiding place for the first little treasure and next clue: behind a tree, hanging from a branch, behind the garage … Hold the compass and check to see that it’s level enough for the needle or card to spin freely. Wait till it points steadily in one direction, and turn the compass so “N” lines up with the pointer.

   Now hold the compass in front of your face, and turn it until the needle points to North. Look to the hiding spot, then look down to the compass and read the “degrees” which point to the spot.

   (This method is simple, but not “pinpoint” accurate. Keep the next clue reasonably easy to locate).

2. Walk to the first hiding spot and count your steps along the way. Be sure to take the same size steps as the players would. Write down the number of steps and the course (in degrees) on a small piece of paper. This is the clue you’ll give the players at the start.

   Repeat the process for the next clue: look for a hiding spot, take a compass bearing, count the steps, and write it down. Once you’ve finished plotting this second clue, you have to backtrack to the first clue location and leave the note with compass bearing and # of steps to the spot you just plotted. Don’t forget to leave a few treats to keep the players enticed.

3. Create as many waypoints as you like, but make enough so that each player gets a turn. The final “treasure” can be buried, hidden, or covered, but where all can access it together. (Not up a tree!) It can even lead right into your house where the birthday cake is waiting as the treasure.

Remember to KISS--Keep It Simple Stupid!  The point is to HAVE FUN and GOOD LUCK!

BOOKS AND STUFF

Seriously...there are a TON of helpful books out there that you can use to help with your pack overnighters.  This list is bound to continually grow, but here is a list to get you started.  You should be able to find all of these books at your local Scout Shop, but if you're like me, and you love to order stuff online, try https://www.scoutshop.org/ and they can ship stuff right to your door!

The Scout's Campfire Cookbook for Kids

The Scout's Dutch Oven Book

The Scouts Deck of Outdoor Recipe Cards

Camp Cookery for Small Groups

The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook

Cub Scout Ceremonies for Dens and Packs

Cub Scout Songbook

Cub Scout Magic

Campfire Magic

Skits, Skits and MORE Skits!

Cub scout skits are great for Cub Scout Camps, Pack Meetings and even Den Meetings!   Not only are they great for teaching public speaking to young cub scouts, but they are fun and put the kids in the spotlight.  Now who doesn't want THAT??  Some modification might be needed--some skits are contemporary and some are classic and have stood the test of time. Check these out!

The Emergency Broadcast System:

-- The Den Lines up, facing the Audience.

-- Den Leader or another announcer says: "This is a test of the Pack 123 emergency broadcast system. This is only a Test."

-- Everyone in the Den hums a very high pitched note (a Beeeeeeeeeeep sound, similar to the tone on the radio just before an emergency broadcast is given).

-- Stop when the leader raises his hand.

-- When the humming stops, the announcer then says: "This has been a test of the Pack 123 emergency broadcast system. This has been only a Test. If this had been an actual emergency, this is what you would hear . . . "

-- At that point everyone in the Den begins to scream and run around terrified and in panic, and then they all run away.

There's a Bear:

The den lines up, with their head tilted and speaking with a slow southern drawl.

1st Cub - Thar's a Bear! (pronounced like Bar)

2nd Cub - Whar?

1st Cub - Over thar! (point to the right with his full left arm)

2nd Cub - Thar's a Bear!

3rd Cub - Whar?

2nd Cub - Over thar! (points just like 1st Cub did)

(Continues down the line, then repeats with pointing to the left with the right arm crossing arms, then repeats with pointing to the right with left foot and both arms crossed, then on the last time 1st Cub says "Over THAR!" and swing his left arm to the left knocking them all down like dominoes)

Tiger Stripes

All Cub but one lines up, facing away from the audience.

A Cub walks up the the first in line, taps first person on the shoulder and asks, "Why do tigers have stripes?"

The Cub who was tapped turns around and says, 

"I don't know" taps next Cub and asks, 

"Why do tigers have stripes?"

and so it goes down the line until the last Cub turns around and says, 

"Because they would look silly with spots" 

The last Cub has spots stuck all over him/her.

A Little Gas

Have all the Cubs in a circle passing around a propane bottle for a camp stove/propane lanter.

After they have passed it around a few times, walk up and ask what they are doing. 

Their response "passing gas".

Fred, the Trained Flea

A Webelo scout performs a monologue in front of the audience and gets an unsuspecting person to join in.

Scout: Here in my hand is Fred the trained flea. Fred will perform for you some amazing feats. Watch closely. Fred, do jumping jacks! Very good! Cheer, everyone! Fred, do a somersault! Fred, do a high jump! Watch him go way up, then back down. Now, Fred will do a long jump. I need a volunteer to catch Fred.

Pick a Scoutmaster or someone with authority.

Scout: Fred, do a long jump!

Watch Fred jump to the volunteer.

Scout: Oh! He seems to have jumped into your hair!

Walk over to the volunteer and start picking through their hair.

Scout: Here we are...no, that's not Fred.

Toss the flea over your shoulder

Scout: Ah! No, that's not Fred. That's not Fred. Fred, are you in there? That's not Fred either. Boy, there's a lot of fleas in here. Fred? Fred?

Lost Item Skit

First Cub Scout: searches the ground around the campfire.

Second Tiger Scout: What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find it.

First Tiger Scout: I dropped my favorite marble.

Second Tiger Scout: Where were you standing when you dropped it?

First Tiger Scout: Over there. (points into the darkness).

Second Tiger Scout: Then why aren't you looking over there?

First Tiger Scout: Are you kidding? It's too dark over there. You can't see a thing.

If you need more ideas, try the following sites:

http://www.macscouter.com/Skits/BBSkits.asp

http://www.skits-o-mania.com/CubScoutSkits.html

https://boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/cub-scout-skits.asp

Hiking Games for Cubs

Hiking games can make almost ANY hike into a fun adventure for a Cub Scout and are a GREAT way to get everyone outside.  Put the "outing" in Scouting and try one of these ideas...

SCAVENGER HUNT HIKE

Make a list of things for your Cubs to look for--not things to pick up and take home with them, but things to experience, ie: smell, sound, sight, or feel.  

For example, for sound you might have your kids listen for a bird chirping, or leaves rustling.  Smells could be dirt or flowers.  Base your list on the area you will be visiting.  If your hike/walk is through your neighborhood, you might have them listen for a car or a police siren.

PENNY FLIP HIKE

Flip a penny to decide what direction you'll take on your hike.  You might say, "Heads, we'll go toward the creek, and tails, we'll walk toward that big tree."  

Flip your penny to do silly stuff like, "Heads, we'll sing Baby Shark, and tails we'll moo like a cow until we reach that rock."

ABC HIKE

In this hike, the Cubs are looking for items that start with each letter of the alphabet--kind of like the alphabet car game.  Pair up the children; when they find an item that starts with the letter 'A' (acorn or ant for example), have them call out the name, and begin searching for the next letter. 

INSECT HIKE

If possible, have each child bring a camera or phone with picture taking capabilities.  If everyone does not have one, pair them up.  Tell the Cubs to take as many pictures of different insects as they can, and see who comes up with the most.

SKETCHING OR DRAWING HIKE

Bring along paper and pencils or crayons.  Hike to a scenic location and have the Cubs draw what they see.

NATURE FRIENDS HIKE

Each Cub picks up an item from the ground to be their "friend" on the hike.  As you hike, have each child explain why they chose their item as their friend.

P.S. Need more ideas for hiking games?  Check out the site where THESE ideas came from, and find even more! https://cubscoutideas.com/2478/more-hiking-games/

Are you TRAINED??

Have you done your YOUTH PROTECTION training?  

How about training for HAZARDOUS WEATHER? 

Or do you need to finish the ONLINE BALOO course?

Click on the link below if your training is out of date.

https://my.scouting.org/

Hike: Take Nothing But Pictures, Leave Nothing But Footprints

  

Teach cubs the skills of observation and mindfulness while keeping their minds busy by turning your hike into a scavenger hunt.

You could call out the next thing to look for (from a list) or if you have more than one den (or family) on the hike, each leader (or parent) has a copy of the list and could take a picture of what their den (or family) found. 

Alternatively, each den can split off on their own and take a picture with the adult's phone of each item on the scavenger hunt list. 

You could make up a list for the cubs to find or let them make a list of what they think they will find and then on the hike try to find everything they put on the list.  Here are some ideas:

blossom clouds

dew on flowers insect

snails eye-view of something something dry

something funny something green

something huge something out of place

something peaceful (i.e. Leave No Trace wasn't kept)

something tiny something wet

something you have never seen before something sad

splash of color straight, curved or crossed lines

sunlight coming through trees texture

evidence of wild life something with 4 legs

Hobo Dinner Hacks

1. For ease and time, mix seasoning into hamburger meat (or cut other mains) and cut veggies at home. If assembling at camp with a group of people sharing the ingredients, put each ingredient into its own bag for transportation.

2. Cut your veggies according to how long it will take to cook.  For instance, zucchini takes less time than carrots and potatoes, so cut your carrots and potatoes thinner                                                                  than your zucchini.

Other veggie ideas: onions, corn, bell peppers, baby red potatoes (sweet potato cubes, quartered), asparagus

3. If using hamburger, mix your spice into your hamburger (rather                                                      than shaking spice on top of the hamburger).

For 1 lb hamburger, you can mix in this recipe:
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar

Other mains you can use:  Chicken, hot dogs, ham, tender pork, pre-cooked roast cubes, cheese, corn on the cob, potato, refrigerator biscuit

4. It does not matter which side of foil (shiny or dull) is on the outside .... unless you are using non-stick. In that case, the non-stick side is a little bit dimpled.

5. Use cooking spray (instead of relying on your butter for flavor) on the foil for non-stick because it coats evenly whereas the butter ... doesn't ... but is good for flavoring veggies.

6. Build your dinner wide, long, and shallow.  This will help your food cook more evenly than if you stacked it thicker.

7. Add sauce and dry spices.

Sauce Ideas                                 Spice Ideas
Cream of Mushroom Soup          Dry Onion Soup
Barbecue Sauce                          Dry Gravy Mix
Ketchup                                       Steak Seasoning
Worcestershire Sauce                 Salt & Pepper
Soy Sauce
Steak Sauce
Ranch Dressing
Italian Dressing                          Foil Campfire Pizza: Pita Bread, sauce, toppings
Taco Sauce                                  (however, leave air space over pizza and don't flip it over!)
Enchilada Sauce                          If the cheese is melted, the whole pizza is warm enough.
Salsa                                            About 20 min. of cooking in coals.
Chili
Cheese
Butter or Olive Oil

8. Wrap food in regular aluminum foil. When you seal your foil packet be sure to get out as much air as possible.  When the packets are heated in the coals the air expands and can cause holes or tears in the foil.

9. Wrap the packet with a layer of newspaper wrapped around the aluminum packet, then run water over the whole packet until the newspaper is wet (this will help steam the food), then wrap the whole thing with heavy duty foil. This method also helps keep your food from burning.

*Alternative:  Simply use 2 layers of heavy duty foil (keep from burning) and place ice cube in with ingredients (steam).

10.  Turn often (to cook evenly) and carefully (so you don't tear a hole in the foil).

11.  Foil Packet Dinners take about 15-20 minutes (30 if big chunks) to cook in coals or on a grill.

Credit: https://www.littledairyontheprairie.com/tin-foil-dinner-hack/
and:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoZElsSBEPk

Oh, Deer! Group Activity

Learn how nature finds it's balance, through a game called 'Oh, Deer!' The main game (lasts about 5-10 minutes) is played 12-15 times, with some participants playing the Deer and other participant playing the Necessities Of Life (food, shelter, water). Add natural disasters and other predators, once you have the game down. Due to the nature of this game (not based on strength, speed, or agility), even very small children can play with the older player with an assistant.

Divide the participants into two groups, the Deer and the Necessities of Life. There should be twice as many Necessities as Dear. One way to do this is by having them line up and count off 1, 2, 3 ... then announce all the 1's will be the deer.

Have the participants line up in 2 lines, the Deer on one side and the Necessities on the other, facing each other, about 10 feet apart from the other line and about an arms distance away from the neighbor. At the beginning of each round, the participants turn away from each other, with their backs turned away from the other line. The Necessities decide if they wish to be Food (indicated with hands on belly), Water (indicated with hands over mouth), or Shelter (indicated with hands on head). At the same time, the Deer decide which of these 3 things they need, choosing one by placing their hands on either their belly, mouth, or head. When the officiator says "Go" the two groups turn around to face each other. The Deer find a Necessity that matched their need. The Deer then go to the other line, find their match, and bring them to the Deer line, and the Necessity becomes a Deer for the next round. If a Deer cannot find a match, they are "recycled" (die, but call it "recycled" so kids don't mistake dying as losing) and becomes a Necessity. NOTICE and point out the balance of nature. TWIST: You can add one or two natural disasters to the first phase. After they have chosen, they are told to turn around and wait for more instructions. Once they turn around you can explain that there was a terrible fire and there is no shelter available. Or, this has been a year of terrible drought and there is no water. Those Necessities step back and out of this round. EXTENSION: Other Predators If you have quite a large group of 14 or more, the 2nd phase is to add a perpendicular lines with 2 players taking the role of Cougars. The Cougars may choose any Necessity of Life, but if they choose food (hands on belly) they catch a Deer. When either the Cougars numbers or the Deer numbers rose too high, add in 2 Hunters (on a line opposite the Cougars, completing a rectangle game formation). The Hunters hunt Deer or Cougar, indicated by shaping one hand into a C or both hands into a D in front of them. If the Hunters become too many, you could introduce an Environmental Specialists, who (indicating by forming a C or D) stop the hunters from hunting their choice of Cougar or Deer that round. NOTICE that other predators help nature keep its balance. For, if you take away the predators, you may cause an overpopulation of deer, and the vegetation would greatly be reduced by their great consumption. If you take away all the deer to preserve vegetation, there will be an overgrowth of vegetation. The balance of nature is pretty amazing!

Water Cycle Dice Activity

Role-play as a drop of water.

Travel between stations representing animals, clouds, glaciers,
groundwater, and many other. Gather beads as memories of your
life's travels. Compare life (string of beads) to other “drops” of water. Fun game anyone, any age can play!

You will need:
9 designated stations 9 six-sided dice (one for each station) 9 colors of pony beads (one color designated for each station) Teacher Information Sheet (Cut by station then place each section at corresponding station) 9 Station Information Sheets (plus 1 extra sheet to use as an example, if for Pre-Opening) A string or pipe cleaner for each participant to track their journey (by adding beads in the
order that they move from station to station as indicated by their role of the die and
according to the information page) 1 Water Cycle Worksheet (For explaining during Instruction)
You can find the Information Sheets at http://arcticclimatemodeling.org/lessons/acmp/acmp_k4_WaterCycle_WaterCycleGame.pdf  Skip the 1st two (classroom instruction) pages.

Set up stations (and label them) in a way that it is easy to find each station but you have to walk several steps to get to each one. Moving from station to station is part of the activity and, even though you aren't aware of it, part of the fun.

It would be helpful to let participants know that:
*A cycle is a set of events that repeat in the same order.
*In a water cycle, each droplet of water takes its own path through the cycle
*Students will roll the die at the station. If more than one student is at a station, students will need to take turns rolling the die. Students should read the number on the die and match it to the chart on the sheet on the table. (Show and demonstrate an example.) The chart will indicate where to go next.

This is written for a classroom, but I played it (as I indicated above) outside at a cub camp out years ago. Pair with a partner (sibling, friend, parent) - one reads, one rolls the die. This is also good for a Pre-Opening game, since there is no defined beginning or end and is played individually.

Pictures For Your Pack Blog

DO NOT use free stock photos or any other drawings, pictures, or photos you find on a Search or in Images.  Most of them either are or will be in the future copyrighted, and there are lawyers whose job it is to find and trace pictures that have been used without permission in your private blog.  You will be fined if caught, even if you made your blog inactive 3 years ago.

Find stock photos on Pixabay. Beware that they give the very best photos along the top but these are for a fee, then there is a small space, then the free and still really cool pictures that you CAN use on your blog without charge or consequence.

For cub scout clip art, some that show up when you Search are free and some aren't.  https://akelascouncil.blogspot.com/search?q=clipart has the list of cub scout clip art that you have permission to use without charge. You can copy right from their blog.  Be safe ... follow Akela!

BALOO Training Handouts

APPENDIX.  All 98 pages of BALOO Training Handouts are included in the Appendix. Just as if we had made hard copies for only those who attend BALOO as attendees, please respect that access to the full Appendix is only authorized for those who were in attendance at our BALOO training. Thank you.